


A Link to Die For

by awkward_onion42



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Nalu - Freeform, Ninjas - Freeform, Nudity, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Natsu, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:47:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29312088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkward_onion42/pseuds/awkward_onion42
Summary: Lucy has been keeping something from Natsu, and he's noticed. As they attempt to navigate their latest job, and their feelings for each other, the two must come to terms with the consequences of previous battles.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel & Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 12
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

His eyes watched her as she made her way to the bar. Sometimes he couldn’t help but stare. Her long blonde hair draping down her body, accentuating every curve. Damn. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, drifting off into fantasy about the things he’d never admit he wanted to do to her. 

“Hey,” he heard a distant voice but was stuck in the trance of her beauty. 

“Hello? Anyone in there, flame brain?” A hand waved in front of his face. “Earthland to Natsu!” 

Natsu closed his eyes for a second, taking in a slow breath. Jumping to his feet in a flash, he launched himself at Gray, fists held high. Gray dodged Natsu’s attack and the two started their daily brawl. 

Lucy looked over at her friends. Of course, they started their day with food and drink flying everywhere as they beat on each other. She watched as Natsu leapt onto a table effortlessly. Damn Natsu, she thought. He’d always been nimble and unnaturally light on his feet. Well, when he wanted to be anyways. Gray, getting more and more furious as Natsu’s taunts, sent ice flying towards him. Natsu dodged Gray’s attack by leaping into the air. Though successful in his maneuver, what neither opponent was expecting was Elfman, full beast mode, tackling both of them. As the three barreled through table after table, they finally landed on top of Gajeel, who was now furious that the idiots had put him off his breakfast. Throwing a punch in Natsu’s direction, Natsu ducked and watched as Gajeel’s fist connected with Elfman’s face. As the brawl continued, more and more guild mates jumped into the fray. Of course, it was all in good fun, but it consistently left the guildhall completely destroyed. Lucy smiled as she watched Natsu slink away, laughing to himself. 

Typical. She thought to herself as he sauntered over with a toothy grin. She laughed softly. Leave it to Natsu to start a fight and just walk away without a care in the world. Letting out a small sigh of what felt like satisfaction, she wouldn’t expect anything less from the fire dragon slayer. 

“Hey Luce!” He called, waving as he approached, “let’s go on a job!” 

“I promised Mira I’d help out around the guild today. Why don’t you and Happy go?” 

Natsu sulked as he sat on the barstool next to her. “Nah. It wouldn’t be the same without you.” 

Lucy’s stomach flipped as she felt a light blush coming to her cheeks. He was really sweet sometimes and the idiot didn’t even know it. Checking herself, and her emotions, she gathered the mugs lined on the bar, smiling at her friend. 

“Well, then we can take a job tomorrow.” 

A cheeky grin appeared on Natsu’s face. He was itching for a real fight; it was practically radiating from him. Lucy eyed the slayer carefully, worry gathering in her mind. The flash of the book went through her and she shuddered. Natsu’s quick glance let her know that he saw. 

Shit. She thought, he now had his eyes on her, concern slowly creeping into his face. She hadn’t told him yet what happened with that damn book. THE book. His book. He knew she saved him, but he didn’t know how or at what cost. 

“You ok Luce?” His words were soft, concern dripping off each syllable. 

“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She smiled at him, hoping he’d buy the facade. At the very least wishing he’d let her just pretend this one time. Natsu was unusually tuned into her emotions. She couldn’t quite understand it, but somehow, he could always tell when she wasn’t ok and when she was lying about it. 

He gave an unconvincing look towards Lucy, huffing as he crossed his arms. “I know somethings off Lucy. I really wish you’d tell me what it was.” 

But how? She thought to herself. How could she tell her best friend that she linked herself to him to save his life? Surely he wouldn’t take that well. No matter how you looked at it, she used Zeref’s demonic magic against him, linking herself to Natsu so she wouldn’t lose him once Zeref was gone. She couldn’t lose him. She found a way to save him, and damn it she went for it. It was reckless and extremely dangerous, but she could not lose Natsu. 

Lucy shifted uncomfortably under Natsu’s prying eyes. He sighed, leaning back against the bar, hands behind his head, eyes aimed at the ceiling. 

“I suppose you’ll tell me when you’re ready.” 

Lucy looked at him, shocked by the words he said. Normally he’d keep pestering her until she caved, but not this time. She couldn’t help but wonder why. 

“Don’t think this means I’m giving up though.” She smiled; there it was. She knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but he knew she had work to focus on. She did promise Mira after all so this conversation could wait a little longer. 

******

The next morning, with the sun peeking through the curtains, Lucy stretched as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She smiled, today was job day. Excitement coursed through her veins thinking of the possibilities. She loved taking jobs with Natsu and Happy. No matter how dangerous a situation got, she was never happier than when she was with them. They had been through hell together, surviving because they had each other. 

As her eyes fully opened and things came into focus, she noticed a familiar scent next to her. Reaching for the blanket, she found a fistful of scarf. Hands shaking in frustration, she clutched it and yanked hard. Natsu was suddenly laying on the floor, rubbing his head that got knocked on the way down. 

“Ouch, Luce. What was that for?” He whined. 

“How many times have I told you not to sleep in my bed?!” Lucy yelled, feigning anger knowing that she really loved it when he’d sneak in next to her. 

Natsu shrugged. “But your bed is so comfy.” 

“Buy your own!” Lucy stomped off to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. As soon as it was shut, she slid down to the floor blushing wildly. Her heart rate was so high she was certain it was past danger level. A cold shower would help. 

Natsu stretched as he stood, making his way to the kitchen. Thoroughly pleased with himself, he began raiding the cupboards for anything he could eat. Hearing the shower turn on, he smiled to himself. She could pretend all she wanted; he knew how she truly felt. 

Gathering his delectables, he made his way to his favorite chair and plopped into it. She’d be out of the shower soon and there was nothing he loved more than the sight of her in just a towel. Chills ran down his spine as he anticipated the view, certain one of these days he’d no longer be able to resist the lure of her scent. 

After a few minutes, the shower stopped and she emerged, hair still damp. As expected, she wore nothing but a towel and made her way over to the dresser. Natsu eyed her intently. No way he could take his eyes off the sight before him. 

Lucy was so used to Natsu seeing her this way it no longer phased her. She gathered her outfit together paying no mind to the pink haired man in her room. As she collected the final article of clothing, she caught a glimpse of Natsu in her mirror. The dragon slayer was staring, desire burning in his eyes as he watched her every move. 

Distracted by the strange sensation traveling through her, Lucy tripped as she made her way back to the bathroom to get dressed. Without missing a beat, Natsu caught her before she hit the floor. Her towel, however, did not survive and drifted downward, leaving her completely naked. 

Blush quickly turning her bright red, she pushed herself away from Natsu screaming as she covered herself with the closest thing she could find. 

“Don’t look at me, you pervert!” she shouted at him, noticing the amused look on his face. 

“Oh, c’mon Luce. It’s not like this is the first time,” he laughed. 

“Not funny!” She only just realized that she had picked up a potted plant to cover herself. Ferns do not offer much in the way of cover, but she acted on impulse and it was the closest thing she could find. 

Natsu shook his head and picked up the towel, laughing as he brought it over to the, now very red, blonde. Not thinking twice, he wrapped it around her himself, only noticing what he’d done when he felt the warmth of her skin brush against his hands. 

Electricity shot through them, causing a long pause as they both stood mere inches away from each other. Pinned between the wall and Natsu, while basically nude, Lucy was desperately trying to put space between them. Natsu, sensing this, took a few steps backwards. 

Lucy took the opening and crashed through the bathroom door, slamming it shut behind her. Panting heavily from her sprint to safety, trying to regain her focus. 

Leaning over her bathroom sink to catch her breath, Lucy looked up into her mirror. She was bright red, panting, and quite obviously frazzled. 

It’s not like it’s the first time. 

His words echoed in her head. He wasn’t wrong, he’s seen her naked countless times simply by happenstance. In fact, the more she thought about it the more she realized just how much of her Natsu has seen. 

Oh my god, she thought. She had never really paid attention to it before, but he was always the one to undress and dress her whenever she got too drunk. Her hands leapt to her mouth, covering it as the shock sank in. 

“Oh my god.” The shock suddenly began shifting to something different as a smile crept across her face. 

“Natsu Dragneel, you sly son of a bitch,” she smiled at her reflection. Slightly miffed that she hadn’t seen it before. In fact, the longer the thought settled, the funnier she found it. After all this time, she was only just noticing. Suddenly Lucy was laughing hysterically at herself, baffled at how it possibly took her this long. 

“You alright in here?” The voice startled her, and Lucy, who was sitting on the floor by this point, jumped to her feet. Natsu had appeared in the doorway, eyeing her suspiciously. Lucy, attempting to act like nothing happened, brushed herself off only to realize she was still in her towel. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she shut the door in Natsu’s face to get dressed. 

“Hurry up, will you?” he yelled through the door, “we’re taking a job today, let’s go!” 

********

They arrived at the guildhall in the same way they always did, Natsu kicking in the door and announcing to everyone they had arrived. She never quite understood the method, but it was Natsu so everyone just kind of let it be. Lucy had learned long ago that he wasn’t one for subtlety. 

As Natsu and Happy made their way to the bar for their second breakfast, Lucy skipped over to the request board. Scanning over each post, the celestial wizard searched for something interesting. 

“Anything good?” Natsu asked, throwing his arm around Lucy’s shoulders. Feeling the heat coming from her friend, she realized she was noticing more. She suddenly couldn’t help but feel the weight of his arm. The muscle he built training always seemed to amaze her. Lucy shrugged as she continued looking at the requests, pushing unwanted thoughts out of her mind. 

“This one sounds cool!” Happy ripped down a flyer from the top of the board and brought it to them. Lucy looked at Happy suspiciously, taking the paper from him. 

Flyer: There have been reports of mysterious figures flying through the air atop Mt. Hakobe. Please investigate.  
Reward: 500,000 J 

“I don’t know. I was thinking something a bit more-“

“Sounds awesome! Let’s go,” Natsu grabbed Lucy’s hand before she could finish, dragging her as they ran out of the guild.


	2. Mount Hakobe

Lucy was convinced that there was never good weather on Mount Hakobe. Every time she had come to the mountain, there was some type of insane blizzard happening. As the wind blew freezing air across their bodies and snow pelted their faces, she realized she was way under dressed. She didn’t know how Natsu could know where they were going, but she knew he had a keen nose and incredibly good eyesight. He and Happy were a few steps ahead completely unphased by the weather that froze Lucy to the core. She had confined herself to the safety of Horologium, thankful that Natsu always carried a blanket. He never really needed a blanket, she thought. The heat that could radiate off him would be enough to melt an entire stadium. Lucy snuggled into the blanket, chuckling to herself at the memory of Natsu appearing at the games after being gone for a year. A whole year away, and then out of the blue appearing at the games and, as per usual, destroying the property. Feeling the emptiness within her again, as though she was back in that time, she snuggled further into the blanket. The smell of it was almost nostalgic to her, like the soothing crackle of a campfire and the smokey air that surrounded it. It was calming and familiar. It was Natsu. 

“Apologies Miss Lucy, but my time is up.” With a very sudden poof, Horologium was gone, and Lucy was sitting, bare legs, on a pile of snow. Screaming as she got to her feet, her body quaked as the breeze went right through her. Wrapping the blanket tighter around her body, Lucy slowly made her way to Natsu and Happy. 

“Hey!” She shouted. “Guys! Wait up!” Natsu turned to the sight of Lucy, struggling to make her way through the deep snow. Her entire body shaking as she tried to fight off the cold. Amused at her efforts, Natsu smirked, rubbing the back of his head. 

“C’mon Happy. We’re going to have to find shelter or Lucy will never stop complaining.” 

“Aye. You would think she learned by now to wear more clothes when we come here. Or at least bring a jacket.” Natsu laughed at his friend’s observation. He wasn’t wrong, but Lucy was Lucy and they liked her just the way she was. 

*******

Peering out the opening of the cave, Natsu knew there was no way Lucy would be willing to walk through the blizzard. A wall of snow blew past the opening as the wind howled. Visibility was near zero, and though he had a good nose, seeing where they were going was still comforting.

“Looks like we’re camping here tonight,” Natsu sighed, looking back at Lucy who was sitting as close to the fire as possible, wrapped from head to toe in his blanket. He walked over to the shivering blonde and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her. 

“Wh- what are you doing?” She muttered, teeth chattering. Once the blanket started to get warm, she knew exactly what he was doing. Natsu had raised his body temperature just enough to get her to warm up. She smiled to herself, hiding the blush in her cheeks with the blanket. There was that damn sweet side again. 

“You liiiike her,” Happy teased, noticing the scene playing out in front of him. 

“Cut it out Happy.” Natsu wasn’t in the mood for teasing. There was too much to focus on, though Natsu was starting to think he was right. Happy, noticing the wheels beginning to turn, smugly settled down next to the fire. 

“I could really use some yummy fishies right about now.” 

Natsu’s stomach growled loudly. “Don’t think we’ll have any luck finding fish here, Happy.” 

“Aye,” Happy scooted himself a little closer to Natsu and the fire. Natsu smiled, boosting the flame just enough to maintain warmth for his friends. As he adjusted himself to lay down, he noticed Lucy was fast asleep against him. Unable to stop himself, he tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her. She really was beautiful. 

******

Jolting into an upright position, a scream caught in her throat, Lucy found herself in a cave. Her heart beating rapidly from the nightmare she just had, she tried to regain control of her senses. 

Why am I in a cave? 

Gathering her bearings, she began to remember the job she had taken on with Natsu. She looked to her right and found him right next to her, fast asleep under his blanket. She smiled. He was always so cute when he slept. 

Wait a minute. 

Realization hitting her, she looked down and saw that her and Natsu were sharing the blanket. When did she fall asleep? How did she end up sleeping next to Natsu?! Taking a few deep breaths, she started to calm herself down. It wasn’t unusual. He snuck into her bed all the time. She was just rattled. Anxiety running through her wildly, but why? 

E.N.D. 

The letters ran through her mind. Oh right, the nightmare. Running her hands through her hair, she curled her knees up to her chest. This was starting to get ridiculous. Lucy could no longer keep track of the nightmares, and they were getting worse. 

Natsu stirred beside her, shifting to his side as his arm found its way to rest against her. She tensed, hoping he wouldn’t wake up. As he settled, she let out a small sigh of relief. 

Good. He’s still asleep. 

The last thing she needed was him waking up to question her. 

She sighed. It was always the same nightmare, every time playing out the same scenes but becoming longer each time she had it. She would be running through an endless cavern of pure darkness when she’d suddenly be surrounded by fire. As the fire crept closer and closer, she could hear a distant voice coming from it. “Destroy,” it would whisper. As she tried to claw her way out of the flames, she’d see Natsu standing above her, but he wasn’t Natsu. Not her Natsu. This one was menacing, eyes dark, filled with death and destruction. He would reach as if to help her but as soon as she took his hand, he’d throw her into the inferno below. She would fall for what seemed like forever, all the while the flames consuming her. 

She hugged her knees, feeling herself become anxious at the thought. Was this the essence of the demon within him? Had she taken it when she rewrote his book? Was it the link that bound him to her? She had all questions, no answers, and no one to talk to. 

Mavis, help me. What have I done? She thought, burying her face into her knees. 

******

Feeling her jolt, Natsu was suddenly on high alert, though he continued to lay still. The smells hadn’t changed, and he couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary, so he knew there was no immediate threat to act on. 

He watched Lucy carefully, something was wrong, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. Something seemed to be eating away at her and he was determined to find out the cause for his friend’s pain. As she pulled her knees to her chest, he placed his arm near her. Hoping she would talk to herself thinking he was asleep, he still wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. 

He watched her a bit longer, but the hope of gathering intel was not long lasting. As she buried her face in her knees, he slowly propped himself up on one arm. 

“Hey,” he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes for effect, “you ok?” 

Lucy turned, startled by Natsu’s sudden presence. For a brief second, he thought he saw fear in her eyes. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a nightmare.” He sat up, trying to comfort her as best he could.

He yawned. “Want to talk about it?” Lucy shook her head. She wasn’t ready to face this. She had no clue how to even tell him and she had no answers to the inevitable questions he would ask. Natsu eyed her suspiciously and then stretched. Taking in a large breath, he could smell the freshness of the morning approaching. 

“Should be close to dawn,” he said scratching his head. “We should get moving.”

Natsu leapt to his feet, offering his hand to Lucy. She obliged him as he pulled her up, concern still showing in his eyes, he hugged her.

“Whatever it is Lucy, we can figure it out together.”

At first Lucy tensed due to shock. Natsu wasn’t really the hugging type, but soon enough he could feel her muscles relax in his arms. At least she knew he’d keep her safe.

Walking over to his sleeping friend, Natsu shook Happy awake. “C’mon buddy! We’re getting back to it. The storm seems to have passed so let’s get to this job!” 

“Aye,” Happy said halfheartedly as he was still pulling himself from a dream he did not want to leave. 

******

At the very top of Mount Hakobe, they found what appeared to be an abandoned building. As they crouched behind a boulder, Lucy tried to come up with a plan to sneak in.

“Why are we just waiting here?” Natsu complained. “Let’s just bust in there and do what we need to do!” 

“Aye!” Happy eagerly agreed, always ready to follow Natsu, even if it meant potential death.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She didn’t know why, but something was telling her this would take stealth. They had to be careful. 

“Lucyyyyy,” Natsu whined some more. 

She sighed. “Will you knock it off? I’m trying to come up with a plan here.”

“What about plan T?” Happy suggested. 

Natsu perked up. “Yeah, plan T! Trusty old take ‘em by storm.” Lucy’s head dropped, of course they would revert to plan T. 

“No. No plan T,” she whispered sternly, “Something is off about this place. I think we should be careful on this one.”

Natsu and Happy groaned in unison. They much preferred to just break in and wreak havoc almost anywhere they went. Lucy was determined to just investigate and get out, like the flyer requested. She didn’t want any trouble, pain, or broken bones. Most of all she needed to keep Natsu in check. Last thing they needed was him losing control of himself again. The nightmare snaked its way back into her mind, she shook it off for now. She had more important things to focus on. 

“Natsu, can you smell or hear anything?”

Natsu shook his head. “Seems to be empty. There’s a lingering scent of people, but as far as I can tell no one’s inside. The place is pretty quiet.” 

Lucy nodded; their best bet was using Virgo to dig through the floor of the building. Her only concern was walking into some type of trap. Natsu’s dragon senses were usually on point, but there was something eating at her about this job. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Unbeknownst to her, Natsu and Happy took Lucy’s nod as confirmation to move in. They had already reached the front of the building by the time she noticed. Running after them, she grabbed both by the scruffs of their scarves. 

“I thought we agreed to sneak in!” 

“Why? No one’s in there, might as well check it out,” Natsu grinned at her. He was confident at the emptiness of the building, but Lucy couldn’t shake that nagging feeling. Sighing in defeat, she let the two go and they proceeded inside. Whatever happened, at least they were together and that was a comforting thought. 

The building was decrepit. It was clear no one had cared for it for some time. Lucy took in her surroundings, noticing the thick layer of dust on the floor, the sagging ceiling, along with the statues surrounding the room.

“I think it’s an old temple,” she stated, approaching one of the statues to get a closer look. As she reached out to pick it up, an image flashed through her. The image of the Natsu from her nightmare. She quickly pulled her hand from the statue and turned to tell Natsu they should leave, however all she found was an empty room.

Her stomach sank. “Natsu?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time posting anything so thank you for all the support!


	3. Etherious

Natsu and Happy found themselves wandering through a maze of corridors. The musty stench of stagnant moisture filled the air. That was all Natsu needed to know they were underground. The halls were lit with torches, providing a soft glow which wasn’t much for light, but it was enough for him to see clearly. 

“Where are we?” Happy complained to his friend. 

“Underground for sure. Don’t know how far down though.” Natsu was looking up into the hole they fell from. 

“Why’d you have to pull the lever, Natsu?” 

“Well, someone had to do something. I didn’t see any doors so I thought that might open one. You know, like a secret passage.”

“Or a trap door,” Happy responded grumpily. 

Natsu’s stomach growled, echoing through the hall. 

“Man, I wish we brought food.”

“Aye. I sure could use a fish right now.” Happy was almost drooling at the thought of raw fish between his teeth. Both hadn’t eaten since just before they left the guild. 

“Wasn’t planning on stopping for a night. This job was supposed to be a quick one.” Natsu rubbed his stomach as he took in his surroundings; dragon senses on high alert lest someone sneak up on them. 

Walking along the corridor, Happy flying next to him, an idea sprang to life in Natsu’s head. He stopped and stared at one of the torches sticking out from the wall. 

Hey, fire is fire. 

Happy had ended up a few paces ahead, not realizing Natsu had stopped until he noticed the lack of footsteps. He turned to see Natsu gobbling down the flames from a torch like he was eating cotton candy. 

“Mm, yeah. These aren’t half bad,” Natsu said to himself. 

“Hey, no fair! How come you get to eat?” 

Natsu stared blankly at his friend as he continued eating the flames. 

“I mean, it’s not like there are fish hanging from the walls Happy,” he stated matter of factly, mouth full. “Besides, I’ll still need a real meal afterwards,” he threw the now empty torch wood aside, “but I might as well stock up what I can on power.” 

Happy sighed glaring at his friend. “If I don’t get yummy fishies, you shouldn’t get yummy fire.”

Natsu, grabbing another torch, shrugged at Happy. “I’m just powering up, Happy. I promise you a nice big fish when we get home.” 

“You better deliver on that promise!” Happy flew ahead, trying to gain some semblance of their location since his fiery friend would not. 

*****

Lucy carefully walked through the hall she found behind a hidden door. For an old temple, this place sure had a lot of secret passages. As she slunk further into the building, she heard a pair of voices talking. Unable to make out what they were saying, she dared to step a bit closer. 

“From what I understand, there are two in the lower-level corridors,” one man said to the other. 

“And the third?” 

Just as she was leaning in to listen more closely, arms wrapped around Lucy’s frame. 

“Hey! Let go of me!” Lucy struggled to get away. Her arms pinned to her sides, she was picked up and brought into the room, kicking and screaming. 

“I found her in the hallway. What should I do with her?” 

As her vision adjusted to the light, Lucy saw two masked men in front of her. She paid closer attention to their outfits and the weaponry around the room, knowing she needed to assess the enemy carefully. 

Wait, seriously? We’re dealing with Ninjas?! 

Still being held by the third, she started her second attempt to get away from him. Squirming in his arms, the man chuckled. They were definitely strong. 

“You’ll never get out of my grip, missy.” The men laughed. Lucy smiled, once again her enemy underestimated her. 

“Star dress, Taurus form!” Lucy shouted, suddenly appearing in her half pant, bikini top cowgirl outfit. 

“She’s a wizard?!” One of them men exclaimed, all three of them in shock. 

With the strength of Taurus now at her disposal, she forced her way out of the man’s arms, knocking him to the ground. Cracking her whip at the remaining two, it wrapped around their legs. Lucy quickly pulled. Their feet flew out from under them as they crashed into the ground. She caught them off guard, which provided the perfect opportunity for her escape. She turned and ran from the room as fast as her legs would take her.

Ninjas. They were up against ninjas. This was bad. Lucy didn’t know how they’d fair against that level of training and skill. She had to find Natsu and Happy as soon as possible. As she ran, a fire ball flew past her head. 

“Get back here!” One of the men yelled after her. 

Lucy ran faster. Fire ninjas! They were up against fire ninjas! Well, at least this worked to Natsu’s benefit. He should have plenty of fuel for a fight, she thought. Now all she had to do was find him. 

******

Natsu and Happy found themselves in a dark room. The feeling of home struck Natsu. The smell of the desert striking him, he didn’t know why this brought him comfort. Inhaling a little deeper he noticed an underlying scent of decay. This smell was familiar, almost comforting, but it felt wrong to him. Wracking his brain, he tried to remember why this scent evoked emotion in him. 

Zeref. 

Just then the lights flicked on. In front of them was a pod, filled with some type of fluid, and a body floating inside of it. The pod was made of round glass, the fluid inside blue and glowing. The being inside looked human except for his hands. His hands hand long talons at the ends of his fingertips. There were tubes coming out of his chest, almost as if someone was trying to bring him to life. He wasn’t alive, that much Natsu was certain. However, the magical power was radiating throughout the air. 

“What the hell?” Natsu slowly approached, instinctively reaching out his hand to touch it. 

Just as he was about to make contact, something sharp struck his hand and he jerked his hand back. Natsu spun around, searching for whoever attacked him. He noticed a figure in the shadows of the rafters above. He could see the man’s silhouette, but he couldn’t quite make him out. Briefly looking to see what struck him, he noticed a shuriken on the floor along with blood dripping down his hand. Excitement began to stir within him.

A shuriken? Does that mean… 

“Step away.” The man demanded, interrupting Natsu’s thought. 

“What the hell is this? And why does it smell like Zeref?” Natsu growled. Zeref had been defeated and supposedly all his monsters with him, save one. 

“We have sworn to protect this being at whatever cost,” the man proclaimed proudly. “I will not ask again, so step away before I force you.” 

“I’d like to see you try,” Natsu dug his heels in, prepping himself for a fight. “What’s so special about this thing anyways? Isn’t it one of Zeref’s demons?” 

The man leapt down from the rafters, finally stepping into the light. He wore black from head to toe, the only thing showing were his eyes. Natsu’s eyes widened at the sight before him. With the confirmation of is earlier thought, Natsu became giddy, wrapping his scarf around his head and face. 

“Ninja!” Natsu held up his hands in front of him, his right hand wrapped around his left index finger like he was holding a katana. 

“Nin, nin!” Happy mimicked Natsu’s gesture, the presence of the actual ninja standing before them fading. 

The man stared at the two and blinked. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but no sounds came out. Instead, he stood there gaping at the fools before him. They didn’t appear to be much of a threat. 

Natsu was feigning focus on Happy, scarf still around his head, pretending to be ninjas. It was almost impossible to take him seriously this way, which was a gamble he was betting on. Lowering the man’s guard was a safe bet. Natsu didn’t know how he fought yet, he had to test his opponent. 

“This is his greatest creation,” the man continued his explanation, “though sadly, it never came to fruition. Now it is an immense source of magical power we have sworn to protect. To keep it away from those who would abuse such power.” 

Natsu and Happy paused their antics, looking at each other confused. 

“What’d you mean his greatest creation?” Natsu pried a bit further. 

The man laughed. “You know of Zeref but not of his most powerful creation? The demon he created to destroy him. E.N.D.” 

A silence fell upon the room so complete the sound of water trickling through the walls could be heard. Happy guffawed. The man in black stared at him, the intent to kill in his eyes. Snickering, Happy looked at Natsu who had gone pale and was, for the first time, speechless. 

The shock fading, Natsu shifted uncomfortably. “Well, this is awkward,” he said into his scarf, muffling his words. The approaching ninja didn’t seem to notice the comment.

Happy eyed his friend carefully as Natsu took a deep breath and stepped forward with his hands in the air, showing peace.

“Listen—" 

Natsu was cut off by a loud crash just outside the room. 

******

Lucy had been running for what felt like ages. At this point she was completely lost but still had the three men from earlier hot on her heels. She cut a tight corner, skidding as she turned attempting to maintain her balance.

“Star dress, Sagittarius form!” She shouted, transforming into the bright green outfit complete with bow and arrows.

With some space between them, Lucy ducked down waiting for her pursuers to turn the corner. As soon as they were in sight, she unleashed a folly of arrows, all of which split into more arrows falling onto the enemy. 

The three men sliced through the arrows with ease. 

“Shit.” Lucy took off again. Zig-zagging her way through the halls, dodging random fire balls thrown at her. She was wracking her brain for ways to get rid of these guys, but she couldn’t figure out a plan and dodge fireballs at the same time. This would be much easier if Natsu were here to just eat the damn fire! 

She pulled out her key and held it above her head, still running, and shouted, “Open, gate of the crab, Cancer!” 

With a loud pop, Cancer appeared, in all his crabulous glory.

“Cancer, quick! Cut those guys up for me!” Lucy shouted back at her spirit friend.

“You got it, Baby.” 

He snipped his scissors before running into their attackers. He cut through their face masks with expert precision. There wasn’t a single nick on any of their faces. 

Lucy groaned. “Well, that wasn’t as effective as I hoped.” The ninjas surrounded Cancer, shuriken in hand. Lucy held his key up behind her. “Better luck next time, Cancer!” Cancer’s gate closed, pulling the crab man back to the celestial world with a cry of “Sorry! Baby!”

“Open, gate of the ram, Aries!”

“I’ll try my best Miss Lucy,” Aries appeared, timid as ever.

“You’ll do great, slow them down!” 

Aries held her hands up in front of her, wool building higher and higher forming a large wall of pink fluff. Their attackers ran straight into it and began slicing through the thick wool. Shuriken may be sharp, but Lucy hoped this would still give her a bit of a lead on them.

“Nice job Aries!” Lucy closed the spirit’s gate. 

Lucy faced forward only to realize she was quickly approaching a dead end.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit! What’d I do?” She clenched her eyes shut to stave off the panic so she could think. With a snap of her fingers, she called upon Taurus. 

The giant bull appeared, axe in hand, ogling Lucy.

“I need you to break down that wall!” 

“Anything for you Miss Lucy! Can I get a smooch after?” Taurus mooed through his words.

“Just break the wall!” Lucy knew she was running out of time. Ninjas wouldn’t be held by wool for long. 

With a quick nod, the giant bull swung his axe upwards, corner to corner, breaking through the wall. Lucy jumped over the rubble, footsteps quickly approaching behind them. Taurus turned to take on their opponents. 

“Thanks Taurus!” She yelled back to her friend as she ran past. This would at least buy her a bit of time to navigate her location. 

She was realizing that the further she ran, the deeper underground she was getting. A light bulb going off in her head, Lucy called Virgo.

“Do you wish to punish me, Princess?” 

“Virgo, I need you to dig a hole to the lowest level, as fast as possible.” 

“As you wish, Princess. And then will you punish me?” 

“No! Virgo,” Lucy rubbed her eyes, attempting to prevent the oncoming headache. “Just dig. I just need you to dig a hole to the lowest level of this place you can find.” 

Virgo nodded, leaping into the air as if diving into a pool, she hit the ground and drilled right into it.

Lucy crawled out of the hole, thanking Virgo as she closed the celestial spirit’s gate. The overwhelming smell of must and mold striking Lucy’s nose, she quickly covered it. If Natsu was down here, she didn’t know how he could possibly breathe. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but she had to continue. She knew the men chasing her were well trained and most likely able to slip past her traps and spirits. She had to find Natsu.

Winding through the corridors, Lucy was confident that she could slow down just a bit. She hadn’t heard footsteps for a while now and she had to try and get her bearings. 

They are ninjas. She reminded herself. Stealth was kind of their thing, but she needed to gain a sense of direction. 

Trying to remember back to all the turns she had taken; she was beginning to feel hopeless. The halls were dark, dank, and just plain depressing. She stopped running to try and focus. As Lucy sat with her thoughts, the sound of voices echoed through the halls.

“Which way do you think she went?” She heard one of the men ask.

“Fuck.” She grabbed at her head, trying to force ideas to come through. “Think Lucy, think!” 

She heard their footsteps getting closer. Pacing back and forth as the panic began to set in, her mind started to unravel. What if she never found her friends in this maze? What if they were already caught? These were ninjas and they’ve never fought ninjas before. Just as she started fearing the worst, she caught a glimpse of light at the end of the hall. 

Finally!

With a last-ditch effort, Lucy put all her energy into a full sprint. Fire was flying past her at this point as she booked it. She heard the soft thumps of their feet get louder and louder as they quickly caught up to her. Forcing herself to keep moving, she held onto the hope that Natsu was in there. That would solve the fire problem anyway. The closer she got, the more the voices talking became clearer. Hearing a loud guffaw from what sounded like Happy, relief started to sink into her body. As fire blast flew past her once more, she was reminded that she still had an enemy behind her. She could feel them closing in on her as her body started to give out to exhaustion. She had been running for some time now, switching between star dresses and spirits to try and slow them down. Feeling the presence of someone close behind her, she attempted on final burst of speed. The room was so close. As she approached, she could feel arms wrap around her waist. She wasn’t going to make it. As the man connected his shoulder into the back of her, they both tumbled to the ground.

*******

“Let me go!” Natsu heard Lucy’s voice cry out. In an instant his body language shifted into attack mode. Launching himself forward, flames billowing around his fist, he struck the man before him. He could explain later, right now he needed to save Lucy. 

He quickly turned the corner of the doorway and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Oh c’mon.” Natsu gazed upon the scene before him. Lucy was struggling under the weight of three men, pinning her to the ground. Shaking his head as he crossed his arms, an unseen smirk appeared on his face, only hidden by the scarf still wrapped around his head. “That’s just excessive.” 

Lucy glared at Natsu. “Just help me, will you?!”

“Alright, alright,” he said nonchalantly. 

Smiling from ear to ear, he jumped into the pile, throwing two of the men off Lucy.

“Oh, Natsu! They’re fire users!” She shouted as she struggled with the man on top of her. “And why is your scarf on your head?!” 

“Fire users eh?” Natsu smiled, completely ignoring Lucy’s question. 

The ninja pulled back his hand, a fire ball growing in his palm as he wound back. Then with a gleam in his eye, he launched the fire ball directly at Natsu. He just stood there, completely calm with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Oh man!” Natsu exclaimed, excitement ringing in his voice, “These taste just like the flames from the torches earlier! So that was you guys?” 

“He…“the man hesitated, “he can eat fire?!” 

A devilish grin formed on Natsu’s face.

“Fire dragon roar!” 

A tunnel of fire shot out of his mouth, hitting all three of the men. As they went flying, Lucy tried to flatten herself further against the ground. Luckily, she was low enough to be missed by the attack, but only just barely. Pretty sure she had been singed somewhere, she jumped to her feet when the fire cleared, shaking a fist at Natsu.

“Hey, watch it! You almost got me!” 

Natsu laughed. “Nah, I knew I wouldn’t hit ya. I aimed it just right.” He grinned his big toothy grin at her. 

By this time, the man from the room had entered the hall. After witnessing the scuffle, he raised his hands in the air showing he meant no harm.

“Who are you?” He inquired. 

Natsu smiled, “I’m Natsu,” he paused, “Natsu Dragneel.” 

“You…” the man trailed off, unable to complete the thought. Lucy stared between the two, completely lost. 

“Yep,” Natsu replied, “I’m that Natsu Dragneel.” 

Lucy, still entirely confused, interrupted the conversation.

“Um, does anyone want to explain what’s happening here?” 

Happy pointed back into the room, where Lucy saw the failed Etherious sitting in a pod.   
“Wait, I thought we defeated all of them!” Terror began to sink into her, thinking they had a much larger problem on their hands. 

“We did, that one doesn’t work I guess,” Happy explained. “They thought it was…” he wasn’t sure he could finish, but Lucy had already picked up on what he was saying.

Her fears being confirmed, she grabbed Natsu’s hand attempting to drag him from the building. Natsu withdrew, looking at her concerned and confused.

“What’s gotten into you Lucy?”

“We have to get out of here,” she was clearly panicked at this point. She knew they shouldn’t have taken this job.

“Lucy, it’s not a big deal. I think now that we’ve explained we can get to the bottom of what’s going on here.”

“I don’t want to get to the bottom of what’s going on, I want to get out of here!” Lucy yelled. She was losing control of her emotions, but she didn’t care. Everything was telling her to get the fuck out of there and fast. 

With fear snaking into him because of his friend’s panic, Natsu grabbed Lucy by her arms and stared directly into her eyes, trying to calm her. All he was met with was terror and it was radiating. This had to have something to do with what she’d been hiding, which meant it definitely had something to do with him. He looked down and then back at Lucy, collecting himself.

“I want to find out why they feel the need to protect that,” he pointed to the pod, “and then we can leave ok?” Lucy nodded, biting her lip for fear of cracking under pressure. Natsu sighed, releasing her arms. As he turned to talk to the man standing behind them, he addressed her, just loud enough for her to hear.

“When we leave here, you’re going to tell me everything Lucy. From start to finish, I want to know what’s been going on with you.” His voice was stern. He was no longer willing to tiptoe around with the subject. This time he wanted answers and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.


	4. I Couldn't Lose You

They walked slowly as they headed toward the town below, Natsu a few paces ahead of Lucy. The snow crunching under their feet being the only break in the silence, Lucy shivered. She didn’t know if her body was reacting to the weather or Natsu. Either way she hated the quiet that fell between them. Then tension nearly suffocating, Happy made a point to fly above the two. He didn’t know what happened, but he had a feeling it wasn’t good. 

Lucy took a deep breath, it appeared she was going to need to be the one to initiate the conversation. 

“I—” 

“Looks like there’s an abandoned shack just ahead.” He cut her off. “We can rest there for the night.” 

Lucy hesitated. They’d make it to the town before nightfall if they kept moving. Given the situation, she didn’t think stopping was their best choice.

“Don’t you think we should keep moving? Those ninjas said the wizard after that Etherious was pretty powerful.”

“He hasn’t attacked yet. I think our best bet is to stop for the night and rest up.” He looked back at her, forcing a smile. All he could focus on was making sure she was ok.

The usual airy tone missing in his voice, Lucy knew the moment they stopped he would start the bombardment of questions. Questions she still didn’t have all the answers to. 

They continued towards the shack, Lucy looking at her feet dreading the upcoming conversation. Knowing Natsu was smarter than he put on, she wondered if he had figured something out about what she’d been hiding. 

Natsu opened the door, allowing Lucy to enter the tiny rundown shack first. As she walked in, she couldn’t help but think it was almost quaint. Even with the thin layer of dust along the floor she could see an old carpet that was worn straight through. Happy hesitated, unsure if this was something he should be a part of.

“I think I’m going to fly ahead and see if I can find some fish.” 

“If you find any, make sure you bring back enough for all of us.”

Happy nodded and with an “Aye, Sir!” took off. Natsu, smiling after his friend, entered the shack, shutting the door behind him. He was eager to get to the bottom of things. He had to make sure Lucy was safe. 

Natsu noticed Lucy sitting at an old wooden table, she was watching him carefully as he crossed the room. Taking in the termite damage of the walls, he figured that was why the shack seemed to have a slight lean. 

“Where’d Happy go?” Lucy asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“He went to find food. Hopefully, he finds enough for all of us.”

Lucy nodded, as silence befell the room. This job had turned out to be much longer than both had anticipated. Neither had eaten since the day they left. Happy finding food would surely bring some light into the situation. 

“Listen, Natsu—” she said, taking a step towards him. 

“I want to know everything Lucy.” He cut her off again, but he wouldn’t look at her. “From—”

“From start to finish. I know, I know.” Lucy, resting her elbow on the table before her, placed her chin in her hand, trying to figure out where to begin. 

Natsu eyed her carefully. Taking a deep breath, he started with the first thing on his mind. “What are the nightmares about?” 

Lucy’s head jerked up. “How did—”

“I pay attention. When did they start?” 

“Shortly after we defeated Zeref.” Lucy eyed him carefully, wanting to pry more into how he knew about the nightmares. She was certain she had been successfully keeping them from him.

Natsu looked out the window. “How do I tie into this?”

Lucy shifted. So, he knew it had to do with him. That explained his silence. She wasn’t sure how to answer that one, but she could feel Natsu’s eyes back on her expectantly. 

“Well, I guess it goes back to the book.”

“Which book?”

“Your book. The book of E.N.D.” She paused a second expecting a response, but he just continued to watch her. She sighed. “While you were fighting Zeref, Gray, Happy and I had your book. Mavis found it and told us we were the key in saving you from your link with him. She said we could save your life.” 

Natsu avoided eye contact, looking anywhere but at Lucy. Conversations surrounding his older brother and demonic nature always bothered him. Many had called him a monster in the past, he didn’t like having confirmation. 

“So, how’d you do it? How’d you break the link?” 

Lucy looked down at her hands. This was the hard part. The part she knew Natsu wouldn’t take lightly.

“Well,” she hesitated, “I…I rewrote it.” 

Natsu spun around, staring at her in horror.

“That was you?!” 

She nodded.

“Of course, it was you,” he said almost chuckling to himself. “So, what happened to it?” 

Lucy stared at him, thrown off by the question. “What happened to what?”

“The book. What happened to the book?” 

“What’d you mean?” 

He was staring at her, almost panicked. “Where did it go?”

“I’m not sure. Why does that—” Natsu had crossed the room in seconds, grabbing Lucy by her arms, he stared directly into her eyes. A sense of urgency suddenly radiating from him.

“What happened to the book, Lucy?”

“I… It disappeared once I was finished.” Lucy was still confused by what was playing out in front of her. 

“Did anything strange happen when you were writing in it?” Natsu began pacing around the room. 

Lucy shifted uncomfortably; she was hoping to leave that part out.

She sighed. “The magic… your magic, I guess, sort of went through me.” 

Natsu’s eyes went wide with fear, though Lucy didn’t notice. She was looking at the ground as she spoke. He hung on every word, feeling himself start to shake as a flood of emotion ran through him. 

“My body was taken over by it, your magic I mean. It was hot. Almost like my insides were boiling—"

“How could you do something so stupid, Lucy?” Natsu’s voice low, almost growling, startling Lucy when he cut her off. 

“I…” Lucy took a deep breath. “I couldn’t lose you again.” She spoke softly, almost hoping he wouldn’t hear her. She knew he would. He could hear conversations from miles away, he could definitely hear her whisper directly in front of him. She knew that, but sometimes wished it weren’t true. 

There was a long pause. Natsu was trying to make sense of everything he was hearing. His mind was going a mile a minute, but he couldn’t latch on to a single thought. Not knowing how to react, he thought silence was the best bet until he figured out the right thing to say. Lucy didn’t give him much time to think. She was anxious to hear his response.

“Natsu?” 

He sighed. “Zeref said whoever was rewriting the book wouldn’t survive. He said the demonic power would take over and destroy them.” His voice was low, as if he thought saying the words aloud made them more real. 

“Honestly, if Gray hadn’t been there, I don’t know that I would’ve survived. He used his demon slaying powers to—”

Natsu had made his way over to Lucy. He’d been pacing the room, still trying to process everything. Taking a deep breath, he could smell old books mixed with cherry blossoms. He had always loved the smell Lucy gave off. It could calm him on the worst days, and he was hoping it would do that now. This should not have happened. If he was to die with Zeref, he was ok with that. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone sacrificing a part of themselves for him, especially Lucy. He shook his head, a sudden need to lighten the mood overwhelming him. He went with “plan P”. Push Lucy’s buttons. 

“So, you had no idea how it would affect you, but you did it anyways.” He chuckled. “That was really reckless, Lucy.” 

One sentence was all it took. 

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” She yelled. “All the times you run straight into a situation, not knowing what you’re up against! Or eating whatever you can find to power up! How many days were you sick in my bed after eating pure etherion, Natsu?!” 

Natsu put his hand up to speak, as if to answer the question, but Lucy was ignoring him. Slowly putting his hand back down, he watched her as she began pacing the small room. Thrown into a rant of the jobs they had taken that they probably shouldn’t have, Lucy got louder and louder as her frustration grew. He was pretty sure he heard something about being the “King of Reckless”, but he was only half listening at this point. It wasn’t until she pivoted and looked straight at him, that he tuned back in. Pointing a finger in his direction, she stomped over, fire burning in her eyes.

“How many times have you almost died because of your inability to even notice the possibility of danger?” Her pointed finger now poking his chest. “We go on jobs, and I spend most of the time babysitting you and Happy!” Throwing her hands in the air, she turned away exasperated. 

“Did you know that I’m the one who pays for your damages?” She had spun back around to face him once more. Anger fuming from her body as she continued yelling. “Have you ever even thought about not destroying an entire city? I swear, I think the only thing you’re actually afraid of is a moving vehicle!”

“Hey!” Lucy completely ignored his objection. He was not getting her attention anytime soon and he knew it.

“I mean, come on! After everything you’ve done, you have the gall to call me reck—” 

Natsu cut her off, but not in the form of words. His lips on hers, Lucy eyes went wide with shock. This was not the reaction she had expected. As he gently pulled away, she stared at him confused. Her hands instinctively going to her lips, touching them gently. 

Did he just kiss me?

“N- Natsu, what?” She was suddenly speechless.

He shrugged. “I couldn’t think of another way to shut you up.” 

His hands gently wrapped around her face and with a very slight shake of his head, he smiled at her.

“I’m supposed to be the reckless one, Lucy. Not you.” 

The tone in his voice almost teasing, Lucy was frozen in place. Her mind started racing as he released her and stepped away. Did she like what just happened? Should she be even more furious? Was she blushing? Why was she blushing?! Would it happen again? Did she want it to? Why was she still blushing?! Her brain had been scrambled by Natsu’s action, completely forgetting about the topic at hand.

“So, my book disappeared.” He continued as if nothing had happened. “What does that mean?” 

Pulled from her daze, Lucy tried to form a coherent thought, her mind still focused on the kiss.

“Um, well, I think it means I linked your life force to mine instead of the book, but I can’t be certain.” 

Natsu nodded, taking in the information, trying to make sense of it all. 

“And the demon magic?” 

“Well, it was curse power, so it’s a bit different. I think it somehow managed to mix with my magic power, and that’s where the nightmares are coming from.” She hesitated. “I think…”

“That it’s trying to take you over.” Natsu finished her thought. She could only nod. 

Natsu sighed, this was not what he was expecting and was the furthest thing from what he wanted. Head in his hands, he was trying to come up with a solution to free Lucy from this. He struggled keeping the demonic power in check, how the hell was Lucy supposed to? Would it end up killing her? Natsu was beginning to fear the worst when he noticed Lucy watching him. She was scared, but not because of him. Realizing she’d been dealing with this on her own for a while, he brought her into his arms, hugging her tightly. 

“I’m sorry,” was all he could say. He squeezed her a little tighter when he felt her soft sobs. 

Feeling like a weight was lifted, the tears wouldn’t stop falling from Lucy’s eyes. She feared what was happening to her and the relief of finally being able to talk about it was overwhelming. She still didn’t have answers, but she had Natsu’s support and for now that was enough. 

The embrace broke quickly when the door flew open, Happy entering with a big grin. “I found food!” 

Natsu’s stomach growled loudly. “Finally! Let’s get these cooked!” 

Natsu went out to start a fire, Happy following only to complain that fish are best raw, not cooked. Lucy smiled to herself. She was with her family. No more secrets, she promised to herself as she exited the shack to join the two. She hesitated at the door, remembering the kiss from earlier. Watching as Natsu and Happy fought over the best way to eat a fish. Now wasn’t the time to over think things, but she couldn’t help wondering if something like that would happen again. 

“Lucy! Come on!” Natsu shouted back to her, noticing she had stopped at the door.

Lucy, smiling, shook away the questions about how her future with Natsu would change. She joined them by the fire, laughing and joking together, just like always.


	5. Tanoshiville

“Has there always been a town on Mount Hakobe?” Lucy tried to think back to all the times they’d traveled there. Not once could she remember a town. 

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s always been there. I mean,” Natsu looked back at Lucy, who was traveling a few paces behind him, “that shack was there.” 

Lucy stared at him, baffled by his statement, but Natsu grinned and continued. 

What the hell did the shack have to do with a town? Shaking her head, she continued trying to recall a town. The first time she came to the mountain was with Natsu to save Macao from the Vulcans. She smiled, remembering their first job together. The kiss slowly creeping back into her mind, Lucy shook her head. The town, focus on the town. She wracked her brain but for the life of her could not recall there ever being one. 

“Hey, Natsu? Are you really sure—”

“There it is!” Happy yelled to them, pointing just ahead. 

“Well, I guess that answers that question,” Lucy said to herself. 

****** 

As they walked through the cobblestone streets, Lucy still found herself on edge. Everything about the town seemed relatively normal. There were people in the streets trading goods with each other, just like in Magnolia. The snow covered houses were all in tidy lines. All the homes were clearly made from the stone of Mount Hakobe and had large wooden doors in the center. Some of the houses were old and worn, the stone faded and eroding. Some looked like they were just built the day before, the cement holding the stones together still gleaming with moisture. It seemed as though this place had been on the mountain for ages. Lucy couldn’t get a grasp on why they never heard of it. A town this close would have to have business in Magnolia, right? How would they get their supplies if not through the closest major town in the area?

As they continued walking, Lucy was scanning her memories to see if she had somehow missed a massive town on the mountain. Passing one of the houses, she noticed a family sitting together eating. She grasped her stomach as it growled loudly. 

“Must be getting close to dinner,” she said to herself, still lost in her thoughts.

“Well, hello there!” A cheery voice called to them.

When they turned, they found a short stout man wearing blue jean overalls, black boots, and a blue and black flannel button down. His white mustache covering the obvious smile on his face, he waved at them eagerly.

“You must be new in town.” He approached them as if they had been old friends. 

“Yeah, we just got here.” Natsu walked towards the man, meeting him halfway, greeting him with his usual toothy grin. 

“Aye! Do you guys have any yummy fishies around here?” 

“Oh, plenty of fish, plenty of room! You guys should head to the inn, it’s just up the road there.” The man pointed in the direction they had been previously walking in. “They’ll get you fixed up in there. No worries about anything in Tanoshiville!” 

Natsu and the man shook hands, laughing together like they’d known each other for years as they said goodbye. 

As they approached the inn, Lucy couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. She tried to catch whoever it was in the act, but no matter where she looked, she couldn’t find anyone paying them too much attention. A lot of them said hello or smiled at them, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Lucy sighed to herself, thinking she was being overly paranoid from the warning they had received at the temple. She just needed a good meal and a little rest; she’d be able to think clearly after that.

As they entered the inn, they were greeted with warm smiles as the patrons went about their business. The murmur of conversations filled the air as they weaved through the packed tables, heading for the bar. 

“How much for a room?” Lucy asked the bartender. 

He looked her up and down, then looked to Natsu and Happy. He suddenly smiled wide at the three, eyes gleaming with joy.

“Welcome to the Mount Hakobe Inn!” He ran around the bar, scooting the three over to a table. “What would you all like to eat? You look starved so this one is on me ok?” 

Lucy was staring in shock at the offer of free food from a business establishment. Natsu and Happy didn’t think twice and ordered one of everything for all three of them. No way Lucy would eat all that food and they knew it, but she was certain Natsu could clear the table on his own if he wanted to. 

“Natsu, don’t you think this is kind of strange?” 

“Hm?” was his only response. He was busy with the mountain of food in front of him, Happy assisting on the right of him. 

“I just think it’s a bit strange that a place of business would offer free food.” She watched as Natsu continued shoveling food into his mouth like he’d never eaten before. “Especially this much.”

“Maybe they’re just nice people.” 

Lucy rested her chin in her hand. “Yeah, I guess. Still seems a bit odd to me.”

“You think too much.” Happy chimed into the conversation. “You might want to stop doing that, Lucy. Don’t want to hurt yourself.” Happy snickered to himself as Lucy stared him down.

“Shut it, cat.” She wasn’t in the mood for his snide comments. Something was off about this place; she just didn’t know what. 

****** 

They were ushered to their room once the meal was finished, every plate polished off by Natsu. It was definitely a cozy little inn. There were two beds side by side. Both had plush feather pillows at the head, with lush duvets across the mattress. Each bed had its own nightstand, both with a light lacrima atop them. Lucy plopped onto what she deemed her bed, letting her body melt into the comfort. Sleeping on the ground the past couple nights had not been kind to her muscles. An idea popping into her head, Lucy scanned the room, hoping for a private bathroom. 

Her eyes lighting up at the sight of a door and she headed straight for it. Was that door there before? Lucy shook her head, swinging it open. Once inside, she found a nice sized bath and a shower. She didn’t care that it was suspicious, she would kill for a shower. 

“Yes! Finally,” she said, her voice dripping with relief. Her mind had been buzzing since they left for the town, she had to gain some clarity and a nice hot bath was the key. 

Natsu, waving his hand dismissively, eyed the beds. Lucy had already claimed one of them, so in all reality he should take the opposite. A smile slinking across his face, he headed for the bed Lucy had laid claim to and plopped into it. Cozying himself under the covers, Happy curling up next to him, he drifted to sleep to the sound of the bathwater running. 

Lucy couldn’t stop thinking about Natsu kissing her. No matter what she tried to focus on, her mind always traveled back to it. The memory of his warm lips on hers, Lucy felt herself flush at the thought. What was happening to her? She sank lower into the tub, from her nose up was the only part of her peeking out of the water. She couldn’t possibly be in love with Natsu. 

Chuckling to herself, she agreed that there was no way. He was loud, obnoxious, had no sense of personal space or boundaries, and he was… dependable. Damn, she thought. He truly was one of the only people she knew would always be there for her no matter the circumstances. From the beginning they had been inseparable. He dragged her into Fairy Tail and he never let go. She smiled, remembering the day she got her guild mark. Her fingers subconsciously traced the outline of it, as she thought of Hargeon and their encounter with Bora. They became a team shortly after that and have gotten themselves into all kinds of trouble. Lucy getting kidnapped by Phantom Lord and jumping out the window of a dungeon on the gamble that Natsu would be there to catch her. She laughed; she had yelled at him for being reckless when she wasn’t much better. Facing Tartaros together, getting through each battle only just barely but never being afraid cause they were together. They had been through so much and met so many great people along the way. There was always one constant in those memories. One thing that never changed. It was always Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. 

She sighed, blowing bubbles in the water as she did. So, what if she loved him? He was completely oblivious to those things, and she was happy with the way things were. 

The kiss crept back into her mind, and something stirred within her. The kiss was soft and gentle. It was almost like he had really wanted to do it for some time.

Don’t read too much into it, Lucy, she warned herself. She didn’t want to get caught up in some fantasy that would never become reality. Shoulders slumped in defeat; Lucy drained the tub. She should get some sleep; they had a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. An early start was their best bet.

******

Jolting awake, Lucy was covered in sweat and panting.

Damn that nightmare. Her body was shaking as it continued replaying in her head. Bringing her knees to her chest, Lucy hugged her legs. She couldn’t shake this one. For some reason, even though she was awake, she could still see it clear as day. Running through fire, nightmare Natsu essentially trying to kill her, all just replaying in her mind over and over again. As she felt the tears well up behind her eyes, she closed them, hoping that would make the vision disappear. When that failed, tears streaming down her face, she put her head into her knees. Lucy began taking slow, deep breaths. Trying to count each breath she took, and the intervals she took them in. She jumped when she felt an arm rest around her shoulders. Looking up, she saw Natsu sitting next to her, smiling softly. 

“The nightmare?”

She nodded, bringing her knees a little closer. Natsu gripped her a little tighter, trying to offer as much comfort as he could. Lucy couldn’t help but notice a sadness in his eyes when he looked at her. 

“I won’t let anything hurt you.” He whispered to her. He was almost stern in his statement, but Lucy found comfort in that. She knew he’d never let anything hurt her. Not if he could help it. Leaning into him a little bit more, Lucy allowed herself to be wrapped in his warmth. That familiar smell of campfire and smoke enveloping her, she realized her body had stopped shaking and all thoughts of the nightmare had vanished. 

“Thank you,” she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder. She didn’t care about hiding her feelings, because right now this was everything she needed. 

******

Natsu stretched as he stood, Lucy still sound asleep as the sun shone through the window of their room. He hadn’t slept since her nightmare, watching to make sure nothing happened to her in the night. Happy was curled up next to her, tail flicking in his sleep, as he mumbled something about fish. Natsu closed the curtains, allowing the two to stay asleep. 

He yawned as he walked down the stairs, only half paying attention. He perked up when he caught a whiff of something familiar. Something he knew but couldn’t place. As he started to wrack his brain, the bartender approached with a full plate of food placing it in front of him as he sat at the closest table.

“Complimentary breakfast,” the man said, that joyful glee still radiating from him. 

Natsu was greeted with a mountain of eggs, buttermilk pancakes, bacon, sausage, and potatoes. His stomach growled loudly. Smiling ear to ear, Natsu dug in, all worries from the night before leaving his mind. 

****** 

Lucy stretched across the entire bed, feeling Happy next to her. She sat up and scratched him behind the ears, causing him to stir. He stretched, opening his eyes slowly.

“Where’s Natsu?” He yawned, noticing his best friend was not in the room. 

Lucy looked around; she hadn’t noticed his absence until it had been pointed out to her. Placing her hand down on the bed, she felt something next to her. Looking down, Lucy realized she had placed her hand on Natsu’s scarf.

“Weird. I wonder why he left it.” Confused by the action, Lucy took the scarf into her hands and laid back onto the bed. 

The memory of the night before becoming clear, she brought the scarf to her face, snuggling into it to hide her flushed cheeks. She had fallen asleep in Natsu’s arms after her nightmare. She could remember the warmth of his body and that familiar, comforting scent that he emits. 

“You loooove him.” Happy teased, noticing everything Lucy was doing.

Damn it. She’d forgotten Happy was still there. She quickly threw the scarf back onto the bed, just as Natsu walked into the room.

“Hey, you’re awake! You guys should go downstairs, they give out free breakfast!” He was just as excited as he was full. 

Lucy shot Happy a death glare that was a warning to keep his mouth shut about what he’d witnessed. Happy snickered to himself, mouth covered by his paws, as his eyes shot back and forth between the two.

“Did I miss something?” Natsu was watching them and she hadn’t even noticed.

Jumping from the bed, Lucy quickly wandered over to the bathroom. “Nope, nothing. Nothing at all! I’m just going to get ready.” She slammed the door behind her, hiding the blush that had taken over her entire face. 

Natsu looked at Happy, who was now quite obviously giggling to himself. He refused to let anything slip for fear of death by Lucy as he held up Natsu’s scarf.

“There it is! Must’ve fallen off when I was asleep,” Natsu stated as he wrapped it around himself. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping blonde next to him, he hadn’t bothered looking for it when he got up. As he adjusted the scarf around his neck, he noticed a hint of that old book, cherry blossom smell and smiled. 

Lucy emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, and the three headed down the stairs. Lucy approached the bartender asking the amount due for the room, shock taking over her face when he responded.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yes! Absolutely, free of charge.”

“But aren’t you a business?”

The man nodded, his smile never faltering.

“How do you stay in business if you don’t charge?!” 

“Just consider it a curtesy since you’re all new here.” 

Lucy eyed the man suspiciously as she walked towards her friends, who were now eating breakfast. Natsu’s second. Something definitely was not right about this place. 

“Do you ever stop eating?” Lucy asked as she sat down across from him.

Natsu flashed a grin in her direction. “They keep offering free food, I’m not turning that down!”

“Aye!” Happy was next to Natsu, as usual, shoveling food into his mouth.

Lucy smiled as she watched the two, resting her chin on her hand. Natsu continued shoveling more and more food into his mouth, but Happy had noticed. She stared at Natsu, a far off look in her eyes. Lucy had entered a daydream, going back to the night he kissed her. It was something she found herself thinking about more and more.

Happy elbowed Natsu, who was solely focused on the food in front of him. He looked up, noticing Lucy staring.

“You ok, Luce?” He had a small hint of concern in his voice. Lucy shook her head to snap out of it.

“Yeah, yeah. Perfectly fine.” 

“She liiikes you,” Happy whispered to Natsu, who rolled his eyes in response. 

Lucy glared at the blue cat, who was obviously quite pleased with himself. As she looked around the room, she noticed the various people sitting at other tables bustling with excitement. Curiosity striking her, Lucy scanned the room for some kind of clue as to what was happening. She noticed a flyer attached to the wall near the door, and a stack of what looked like more flyers sitting on the bar. 

Lucy got up and crossed the room to get a better look.

PIE EATING CONTEST!  
All you can eat pie. Winner gets 50,000 J. 

Natsu threw his arm around Lucy’s shoulders, eyeing the flyer she was looking at. 

“We’re already on a job, Lucy. Are you already looking for more money?” 

“I don’t think this was here yesterday.” Lucy’s voice was quiet, almost like she was talking to herself.

Natsu eyes the flyer carefully. It didn’t take long for Lucy to notice the excited glee in his eyes. Snatching the flyer off the wall, Natsu stared at Lucy like a kid in a candy store.

“We have to do this!”

“Weren’t you listening?” Lucy was definitely not saying yes to an obvious trap. “I don’t think that flyer was there yesterday. I also think the bathroom door randomly appeared in our room.” She had started to trail off as finished her sentence, mostly talking to herself at that point. Natsu was already with Happy, discussing their strategy for the pie eating contest. “It’s also really strange that everything here seems to be free.” 

Lucy turned, only to find Natsu and Happy heading out the door of the inn. “Hey, guys!” She ran after the two, catching them just outside the door. “Where are you going?” 

“To the pie eating contest.” They replied in unison, both pointing at the flyer in hand. 

“Can you just think about this for a second?”

Natsu and Happy stared at her with blank expressions.

Lucy sighed. “Is this really necessary? Didn’t you just eat?! We’re on a job here, we should be spending our time trying to…”

Lucy trailed off, noticing the contest flyers that were now posted everywhere. The outsides of businesses were covered with them, there were stacks near doors, and the entire town was buzzing. Everyone seemed focused on it like it had been anticipated for months. 

“Ok, those definitely weren’t there yesterday.”

“Oh c’mon Lucy! Nothing bad is going to happen.” Natsu whined. 

“And it’s an extra 50,000 Jewel!” Happy added. 

“But there was nothing about this yesterday! Doesn’t that seem a bit off to you?”

Natsu shrugged. “I still think we should check it out, even if it is weird. What if it’s a lead?” 

Lucy’s head dropped. He had her there. She still didn’t want to go to a pie eating contest. Even if it wasn’t a trap, she had no interest in watching people eat pie. 

“Ok, fine. You and Happy check out the pie eating contest, I’m going to scope out the rest of the town and see if I can find other leads.” 

“That’s probably for the best. Wouldn’t want to add on any extra weight, Lucy.” The sarcasm dripping off of Happy’s words had Lucy’s fists shaking.

“Shut it, cat!” 

“Where are you heading?” Natsu inquired.

“I’m going to see if there’s a library or someplace that has kept recorded history of this town. I don’t ever remember seeing it or hearing about it which doesn’t seem right. We should’ve known about a town like this when it’s so close to Magnolia.” 

“Ok, we’ll meet back here when we’re done.” 

Lucy turned to walk away but Natsu grabbed her wrist. “Be careful, Lucy.” 

Lucy nodded, smiling back at him. “Just don’t get stuck in a pie or anything ok?” 

Natsu laughed, hiding the anxiety he was feeling. He could still smell the scent he noticed earlier. He couldn’t recall where he recognized it, but it made him uneasy. 

Neither wanted to separate, but they needed to gather as much intel as possible. Natsu wasn’t wrong in thinking of the contest as a possible lead, it was smart to check it out. Lucy was determined to find out exactly when the town was founded. She was certain she’d have known about it, or at the very least been to it by now. 

The trio split up, going to their designated locations. As Lucy headed deeper into the town, trying to find some form of library, she replayed the events of the past couple days in her head. Free everything, magical doors to glorious baths, a surprise eating contest, and the fact that she still could not remember ever hearing about Tanoshiville? Lucy had all the confirmation she needed to know there was definitely something wrong here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to my beta readers!


	6. E.N.D.

Lucy kicked a loose cobblestone in front of her. 

“How can the only shop in town not have a map?” She grumbled to herself. Looking around, she spotted a man sweeping outside his door, and ran over to him. 

“Hey! Excuse me!” She waved to him as he looked up. 

“Well, hi! What can I do for you?” He smiled. Lucy couldn’t help but notice his eyes wandering along her frame. Stifling a shiver, she smiled teasingly. Might as well use it to her advantage. 

“I was just wondering if you could point me in the direction of the library?” She leaned forward just a little, cleavage peeking out from her shirt. What an easy target, she thought. It always perked her up when her sex appeal actually worked. 

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was too quick for Lucy to figure out what. He scratched the back of his neck, hesitant to answer. Thinking she had won, Lucy listened eagerly. 

“Uh. Sure.” His eyes wandered along the side streets. “I’m pretty sure it’s down that way.” He pointed to a road that ran diagonally into the town. 

“Cool. Thanks!” Lucy ran off. 

As she turned a corner, she was faced with a six-way intersection. Coming to a stop in the center, Lucy sighed. 

“So much for my feminine wiles.” She said to herself. Dejected that once again her seduce and conquer plan had failed. 

“You should’ve known it wouldn’t work, Lucy.” She heard Happy’s voice in her head. 

“Damn that cat.” She growled to herself. 

“Need some help?” A younger woman approached her, smiling softly. 

“Yeah. I…” she hesitated. What if they were misleading her? Lucy shook away her doubt and smiled. They may be weird, but they still seemed like kind people. “I’m trying to find the library.” 

“Oh, the library.” The woman’s energy shifted. No longer making eye contact, she pointed to the road that ran straight down the middle. “It’s just up that way.” 

“Thanks.” Lucy eyed her suspiciously but made her way down the road. 

The further she walked, the darker Tanoshiville became. The buildings looked run down, many of them crumbling under their own weight. Some had chunks missing. Parts that had been completely eroded away, exposing the inner abandoned halls. Every other part of town Lucy had seen was well lit, well maintained, and bustling with life. This was a ghost town. 

Finally, in the center of the small square, Lucy lowered herself gently onto a bench that looked as if a feather could knock it over. After deeming it safe, she allowed herself to relax just a bit. She was faced with two choices, a road to her left and one to her right. Crossing her legs, right over left, she tried to come up with a new game plan. 

“I’m starting to think this place doesn’t even have a library.” She sighed, leaning back on the bench, eyes aimed at the sky. She couldn’t help noticing the ferocity of the clouds. They swirled above her, darkening as they collided with one another. Lucy frowned. 

“Please don’t be another blizzard.” She whined to herself. 

“Are you lost, miss?” 

Lucy jumped, a scream hitching in her throat. Looking to her left, she saw an old woman approaching. She was frail. The oversized coat looked like a weight causing her to hunch over. Her silver hair tied back with a scarf; she was approaching Lucy slowly. 

“I- Yes. I was trying to find a library and ended up here.” 

“Oh, you won’t find a library here. Not many folks come to this part of town anymore.”

Lucy nodded. It was clear why they would abandon it. She sighed shaking her head. At the very least maybe she could find her way back.

“Honestly, if you could just point me towards the inn?” 

The old woman smiled. “Oh sure! It’s just down that road there.” She pointed to their left. Lucy looked down the road, noting that it appeared much darker than the one on their right. 

“Right. Well, thank you. I should be heading back now.” Lucy stood, slowly making her way towards where the woman had pointed. The old woman waving her off, Lucy crouched behind a barrel once out of sight. After watching the woman leave the bench, she ran back to where they previously sat. Her pace slowing as she approached. 

“Wait, but…” 

She stopped. Confused that a building now stood where the road had been. 

“That wasn’t there a minute ago.” 

Lucy spun around, only to discover the original road she headed down had now disappeared as well. 

“What the hell?” 

Curiosity peaking, Lucy approached one of the buildings. As she reached for the door, her hand trembled. Fear and adrenaline beginning to course through her. She took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she swung the door open. 

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” She chuckled at herself for the small amount of fear she felt prior. She placed her hand on the surface in front of her. “Is this a wall? No. The mountain? Why would someone put a door right in front— oh.” 

Lucy took a few steps back. Shock flooding her senses, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. 

“No way. It’s all an illusion? But it’s so intricate. The magic power necessary to create something like this is…” Her eyes widened with fear. This type of power was unbelievable. She had to find a way back to Natsu and Happy. She had to warn them. 

As Lucy turned to find another road, she found herself suddenly in a massive crowd of people. 

“What the?” She stepped further into it. “Am I in the square now? Wait. Natsu and Happy are in the square!” 

She didn’t know if this was accidental, but the wizard controlling the town had placed her right where she needed to be. 

With a renewed sense of security Lucy took off. Weaving her way through the mob, she could hear a commentator talking ahead of her.

“It looks like Obra just ate the pie plate with the pie again! That is the eighteenth pie plate he’s eaten in this competition!” Putting an extra boost into her run, she didn’t notice the large man stepping in front of her. Lucy fell to the ground, bouncing off the man’s round belly with a loud boing. 

“Whoa! You ok there?” He offered his hand, which she took, and he hoisted her to her feet with ease. 

“Sorry!” Embarrassment radiating from her, Lucy fiddled with her hands. “I didn’t see you there.”

“No worries, miss! I got no problem with a pretty lady like you running into me.” 

Lucy internally rolled her eyes but smiled sweetly at the man. Great, another pervert, she thought to herself. 

“Thanks. I’m just trying to get to the contest, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh, you should stop by the shop on your way! They have real high-quality berries there. Great for pie making!” 

“I’ll be sure to check it out.” Lucy appeased the man but had no intention of stopping. She continued making her way towards the commotion in front of her.

“Excuse me, miss?” A woman halted Lucy in her tracks. “Would you mind trying on this jacket for me? You’re about the same size as my daughter, and I want to make sure it’ll fit her.” 

“Oh, uh… sure?” Lucy obliged the woman, unsure what else to do. 

The woman draped a large puffy coat around Lucy’s shoulders. It was bulky and extremely heavy. The fur around the hood tickling her face, Lucy struggled under the weight. She was positive that whoever this woman’s daughter was, she was incredibly strong. 

“It’s… nice.” Lucy struggled to find the right words.

“Oh, you really think so?!” The woman clasped her hands together in excitement. Grabbing the jacket from Lucy’s shoulders, she took off. 

Lucy continued towards the square’s center, maneuvering through the throng of people. But she was stopped every couple of steps. 

“Excuse me, ma’am, would you mind tasting this stew?”

“Miss? Could you help me find my dog?”

“Would you like to buy some strawberry jam?” 

She kept her head down and tried pushing toward the stage as more and more people crowded her. 

“Come try on this new dress! It would look great on you!” 

“Aren’t you a cutie? My son is single, I could introduce you.” 

“Could you watch my son for one second? I just need to run in to the mill real quick.” 

Lucy’s frustration grew. She had to get to Natsu, but it was like they were forcing her back. She glanced up, catching the brief sight of the pink tips of hair. 

“That has to be him.” She forced her way through the masses coming down on her. 

Waving her hand, jumping, Lucy called, “Natsu!” 

He didn’t flinch.

“Natsu!” She called louder, but still no reaction. 

“What the hell? He should be able to hear me. I swear, if he’s ignoring me—” 

“Excuse me, miss?”

“Look, I’m sorry. I really need to find my friends, so if you don’t mind—” 

She was stopped, a hand firmly gripped around her wrist. Her eyes burned with anger. 

“Listen, I don’t have time for…” 

As she turned, the crowd around her vanished. Lucy’s anger shifted to fear. She was suddenly left standing in the square alone with her caller. 

“No.” She whispered to herself. Afraid speaking any louder would make it more real.

His pink hair lightly waved in the wind. His black eyes locked on Lucy, slowly looking up and down her body. Lucy tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. She flinched when she felt his long claws digging into her forearm. 

“This can’t be…you can’t be…”

“What’s the matter, Lucy?” He pulled her in close to him. Lifting her chin so their eyes could meet. He relished in the fear radiating from her. The scent of adrenaline rushing through her veins lit a fire within him. He inhaled deep, taking it all in. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” He smiled, revealing the sharpness of his teeth.

Lucy couldn’t move. Terror holding her in place, her mind was screaming at her to run. 

His smiled deepened as his free hand slowly wrapped around her throat. Releasing her wrist, he lifted her off her feet. Lucy began struggling against his grip as her airways were cut off. The further he lifted her, the tighter the grip around her throat became. She punched, flailed, kicked, everything she could think of to get away. 

Wrapping his free arm around her frame, he restrained her arms. Lucy’s body trembled as he pulled her closer, only stopping once his mouth was directly next to her ear. 

“We’re going to have so much fun together, Lucy.” Malice dripped off of every word. His grip now making it impossible for her to breathe, Lucy wriggled as much as she could. He laughed at her struggle. The sound echoing in her ears as everything started to go dark. 

No, you can’t pass out. Stay awake, Lucy! Stay. Awake! 

Just as she thought her body was going to give in, he tossed her through the air. She hit the cobblestones roughly and flipped over herself before tumbling away. Slowly pulling herself to her hands and knees, she coughed and gasped for air. She could hear his footsteps getting closer. She had to come up with a plan, fast. 

“I wonder what the dragon slayer will do when he sees your lifeless body on the ground?” His foot connected with her diaphragm, sending her flying into the air. 

The little air she had been able to regain was forced from her body in one quick hit as she landed. The pink haired man still walking towards her, laughed. Kneeling down once he reached her, he hooked his arm under hers and lifted her from the ground.

“Maybe then I’ll finally be able to take control.” His fist now connecting with her stomach. Once again, the air Lucy had been desperate to get, escaped. Her knees giving out, she collapsed to the ground. Coughing and gasping once more. He laughed. She hated his laugh. It was maniacal. Evil. It radiated everything her and Natsu had fought against in the world.

He walked away chuckling, allowing her time to collect herself. For that she was grateful. Slowly looking up, she finally got a clear view. The Natsu from her nightmare stood before her. The essence of his demon powers. E.N.D. He was smiling at her. His intent was clear. He meant to kill her. 

He can’t hurt you. He’s an illusion. He’s not real.

“You can’t control him.” She smiled. 

“Oh?” 

“You’ll never be able to beat him.” Legs shaking, Lucy got to her feet. 

He’s an illusion. He’s an illusion. He can’t do anything, because he’s an illusion.

The man chuckled. Lucy stood tall, her eyes looking directly into his.

“Natsu will beat you every time because he believes in us.”

Bursting out in laughter, E.N.D. wiped a tear away. The sudden courage he was being met with was amusing. He knew this would be fun, but he hadn’t expected the comedy act. 

“He’ll need more than just faith to defeat me.” 

Lucy smiled. She had linked herself with Natsu to save his life. She had faced the power of E.N.D. when she rewrote the book. This E.N.D. was an illusion. She just had to keep him busy. 

“You’re forgetting something.”

“And what’s that?” E.N.D. watched her carefully.

“He has us too!” Lucy ran straight towards him. 

He laughed, curious at what she thought she could do. 

“Star dress, Taurus form!” 

Lucy transformed. Quickly flicking her whip, she wrapped it around E.N.D.’s neck. With the power of Taurus she cracked the whip again and he flew high into the air. The ground cracked beneath him as he landed. He groaned as his body lie in the middle of a small crater. 

Lucy held a key high above her head, “Open! Gate of the Lion!” She pointed it directly in front of her, “Leo!” 

“Hello beautiful.” Leo appeared before her, adjusting his sunglasses, and fixing his tie.

“Take him out!” 

“Anything for you, gorgeous.” Leo ran for E.N.D. who was slowly getting to his feet.  
Winding his fist back, a bright light enveloped his hand. He brought his arm around to uppercut, but E.N.D. caught him. 

Lucy watched in horror. Flames suddenly erupting around them, they had been closed in. She thought she had put herself at a good distance, but the heat emanating from E.N.D. still singed the light hair on her skin. His body exploded, completely engulfed in a deep red, almost black flame. He swung back. Lucy’s breath hitched in her throat. E.N.D.’s fist connected to Leo’s face and sent him flying backwards. Leo tumbled, body rolling hard against the ground. He finally stopped at Lucy’s feet.

“Leo!” Lucy fell to her knees, making sure her friend was ok. 

“Lucy,” his voice was strained, but serious, “get out of here.” 

“No way. This is my fight.”

“He’s strong Lucy.”

“He’s an illusion!”

“Lucy—”

“I can do this.” Her eyes begged him to not say anything else. “Thanks, Loke.” She smiled. “I’m sorry.” He watched her confused, only realizing what she had done as it happened. Lucy forced his gate closed. She wouldn’t watch her friends be hurt in front of her. Especially not by him. 

“My turn.” E.N.D. smiled, death radiating from every ounce of his being. He launched himself in her direction. 

Lucy stood. Firm in her position, she would not falter.

The only way to overcome your fear, is to face it.

Their eyes met as he came flying towards her. This was her fight. She was going to face it head on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, this chapter was rough. Big thanks to my beta readers and to everyone who's read up to here. You guys are awesome!


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